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(No Model.)

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SUSPENDER BUCKLE.

No. 3.12.0;405. PatentedJune 16, 1885.

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113s ternoya UNITED STATES ,PATENT I OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER c. SHELBY, on NEW Yoann. Y.

' SUSPENDEYRBUCKLE. Y

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,505 dated .Tune 1G, 1885- Appliciation filed April 22,1385. (No model.) v

To cir/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER C. SHEL- `BY, of New York city, county, and State, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspender-Buckles; and I do hereby de clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ot' this specification, and to the figures and letters ot' reference marked thereon.

My invention has for its object to provide a cheap, simple, and durable buckle for suspenders that can be with facility adjusted up and down upon the webbing and securely fastened at any desired point of adjustment, and constructed so as to expose no projecting metallic portions on the inner or under side of the webbing that would soil or tear the clothing of the wearer.

I will tirst describe my improved buckle, and will then point out what I deem to be its particular points of novelty in the claim at the end ot' this speciiication.

teferring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a perspective view of a buckle constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same applied to a piece of webbing. Figs. 3, 5, 7, and 9 are perspective views of different modifications ot my invention. Figs. 4, 6, 8, and l0 are respectively sectional views ot' the buckles shown in Figs. 3, 5, 7, and 9, and showing the manner of their application to webbing. Fig. 11 is arear view ofthe modiiication shown in Fig. 9.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate like parts.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. l and 2 the body A of the buckle is formed substantially dat, and has a crossbar, a, at the top, another cross-bar, b, at the bottom, and three intermediate cross bars, c d c. The cross-bar d serves as the pivot for a lockinglever, B,the connection between the two being` effected by turning lugs orearsf, formed upon said locking-lever, around the said cross-bar d, so as to form eyes, as shown. Near its pivot the lockinglever is provided with aninwardly projecting clampingjaw, g, and at its outer end it is provided with means-such as a hook, h--for the attachment of the suspender-end.

In applying the buckle thus formed to the webbing of a suspender the end of the webbing is inserted tirst between the cross-bars c and c,- then through between c and d, then between d and c, and then iinally between e `and b, the locking-lever B being swung up into the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 3 while this operation is being performed. After the buckle is thus applied to the webbing it may be slipped to the desired point by grasping the projecting lockinglever and locked at its place of adjustment by depressing the lock ing-lever into the position shown in full lines Fig. 2, this movement causing the clampingjaw g to co-operate with the cross-bar c and form an abrupt bend in the webbing, which renders it impossible for the buckle to be disturbed so long as the lockinglever remains turned down.

It will be observed that by reason oi' the connection of the suspender-end to the eX- tremity of the locking-lever the latter is ordinarily held positively down by the weight of the wearers pantaloons, and that hence there is no liability of the lockinglever becoming displaced. It will also be noted that on the inside of the buckle, or, in other words, on that side which comes next the person of the wearer, there are no projecting metallic portions to tear or soil the wearers shirt or project into his person, there being, in fact, but two portions of the buckle exposed at all on that side of the buckle-to wit, the cross-bars c and c, which cross-bars are very narrow, and by the bends of the webbing are set back considerably below the bearing-surfaces 1 2 3 of the webbing out of the way.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the buckleA frame proper is formed with but three crossbars-namely z' k Z-which correspond to the cross-bars c d e ot' the device shown in Figs. l and 2, while in Figs. 5 and 6 four cross-bars-viz, in, u, o, and p-are employed, and in Figs. 7, S, 9, 10, and ll. only two cross-bars are employed, the pivotal connection of the locking-lever to the buckleframe proper being made by means of short studs or pivots q projecting from the sides of the frame into the eyes formed on the locking-lever in the modification shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and by means of studs or pivots r r, formed upon the locking-lever and projecting through perforations in ears, s, formed upon IOO the frame, in the modification shown in Figs. 9, 10, and 1l.

The clamping-jaw of the'locking-lever may, if desired, be form ed with teeth or serrations, as shown in Fig. ll; but ordinarilyI prefer to dispense with these teeth, as a sufficiently firm hold can be secured upon the webbingwithout the aid of them, and the liability of the webbing being torn or injured is lessened.

In all the modifications represented in the drawings it will be noted that the clampingjaw of the locking-lever co-operates with the two cross-bars located on opposite sides of the pivot in the same manner, and also that in all of them there is the same absence of the projecting parts of metal on the inner side, next the person of the wearer.

What I therefore claim as my invention is- In a suspender buckle, the combination,

substantially as described, of a buckle-frame having the two cross-bars and a locking-lever pivoted between them, and having the short inwardly-projecting clamping-jaw near its inner end, and having also a device-such as a hookat its outer end for the connection of 2 5 the suspender-end, whereby when the buckle is applied to the webbing or body of the suspender, as described, and the locking-lever is turned down, the short clamping-jaw of the lever will co operate with the two cross-bars of the buckle-frame to securely hold the webbing, while the pull upon the outer end ofthe locking-lever will operate to keep said lever turned down, substantially as described.

CHRISTOPHER C. SHELBY. Witnesses:

A. S. STEUART, THOMAS DURANT. 

